Sunday, April 3, 2011

I'm a nerd.

I know that I am, so I don't even try to deny it.

Ever since Tuesday, when I bought Tangled, I have been in one of those Disney music moods. Yes, I not only still watch Disney animated movies on a regular basis, but I actually listen to their soundtracks.

I even have a Pandora station called the "Alan Menken" station. In case you didn't know, he's the genius composer behind these movies, among others:

I was born during the time considered the "Renaissance" era for Disney. All of the "new" classics came out during that time: The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, etc. So it's no surprise that those were pretty much my favorite movies growing up.

I have so many memories associated with all of them! According to my mom, The Lion King was the first movie I ever saw in theaters. I had a big Little Mermaid indoor tent that I used to play in, and a table with chairs. I had Beauty and the Beast figurines on my birthday cake. Somewhere around the second grade, I wore my Pocahontas outfit to school for Halloween: t-shirt with her picture, and lots of leather fringe and beads elsewhere in my outfit. I had a Jasmine doll. In other words, I have been a Disney dork practically since I was born. :) I know that some people don't have warm and fuzzy feelings towards Disney. But I can't imagine my childhood without my favorite characters and stories. And Disney World is still one of my most favorite places.

Some of the Disney movies that, in my opinion, have the best songs are:

-Beauty and the Beast (I mentioned this before, but the lyrics to "Gaston" and "Belle" are frequently going through my mind..."I use antlers in all of my decorating!" I have this soundtrack.)

-Cinderella ("So This Is Love" and "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes"-love those)

-Alice in Wonderland (so many fun ones! I remember as a kid loving the flowers with faces in "All In the Golden Afternoon." And then of course there's the "Mad Tea Party" song.)

-Tangled("I have dreams like you, no really, just much less touchy-feely. They mainly happen somewhere warm and sunny, on an island that I own, tanned and rested and alone....Surrounded by enormous piles of money!" Oh, Eugene. We know you're not really like that anymore. :)

-The Lion King (Awesome songs, again. I actually own this soundtrack.)

-Aladdin (I love every song in this movie. But I bought the soundtrack just for "Prince Ali" and "Friend Like Me.")

-Mulan (These songs are amazing. "Honor to Us All," "Reflection," "A Girl Worth Fighting For," and "I'll Make a Man Out of You, despite my dislike for Donny Osmond.)

-Enchanted ("How Do You Know" and "So Close" are my favorites)

-Peter Pan (I love the "Main Title" off the soundtrack. This is one of the classic Disneys that has so much of those choruses I love, like the ones in Lady and the Tramp. You know what I mean? Those choruses just stand for "classic Disney" to me.)

-Tarzan (I love the songs Phil Collins did for this movie! There are some great songs.)

-and the list goes on and on. :)

There's also the songs from Pixar movies...especially the Toy Story trilogy with songs by Randy Newman.

What I really love about Disney songs is that they're not only catchy and get stuck in your head, but if you really listen to the lyrics, they're usually hilarious and clever. Especially those in Tangled, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, etc. And when I hear Disney songs, they always make me smile. They bring back childhood memories or remind me of scenes from my favorite films.

Honestly, I meant for this to be a short little post. But this is what happens when I'm writing about something that excites me: I ramble. :) While you're finishing off your sunny (I hope) weekend, here are a few of my favorite Disney songs. Slow down and listen to one or two of them. :) And if you're so inclined and some of my dorkiness has rubbed off on you, pull out your old Disney VHS tapes, or your DVDs, and relive your childhood for an hour or two.

By the way, remember the Little House book that I mentioned in my last post that I’m so excited about? You can find a giveaway for it here.